'Anti-consumer' copyright bill on way: expert

Snuckles
rabble-rouser
Member: 3764
Joined: Jun 13 2002

Quote:
The government is preparing to unveil what may be the "most anti-consumer copyright bill in Canadian history," according to University of Ottawa expert Michael Geist.

New reform legislation will be introduced in the House of Commons in the next six weeks, likely in June, Geist said on his blog Wednesday. Citing unnamed sources, Geist said the bill would mirror the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act by enshrining copyright holders' rights in several ways, to the detriment of consumers.

The bill would prevent the breaking of digital locks put on electronic devices and content and eliminate the notion of fair dealing, where institutions such as schools and the media have copyright exemptions, Geist said.

Read it here.


Comments

LetThemEatCake
recent-rabble-rouser
Member: 20466
Joined: May 8 2010

I find this to be very worrysome. I want the internet to remaind as open and free as possible. Here in Canada we are already haveing our bandwidth throttled by our internet service providers. I think this could be another step in the wrong direction.

If your interested in this topic you may also be interested in the following articles (I dunno how to put them into nice links so...)

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100411-US-Calls-Out-Piracy-Ena...

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/05/05/canadian-prime-minis-2.html

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/canadians-drop-gloves-pu...

http://torrentfreak.com/canada-fast-tracks-draconian-anti-piracy-law-100...

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5008/125/

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/week-in-tech-blame-canad...

Also these were posted in another thread. I dont mean to spam but this issue is very important to me (i'm kinda a computer nerd) and I want people to be informed. Others may very well think this is a good idea I just want to make sure that if a new copywrite bill passes it is because Canadians fell it is a step worth takeing in order fight piracy. As it stands I think this is more of a result of pressure from forign governments and of course the entertainment industry. Even if you do not dowload pirated media this bill can still effect you. (especially if you like some of my friends are aspireing software enginers)

I want to always be legally allowed to take music off a cd I purchase and put it on a mp3 player that I purchase. I like to listen to music on the walk to work and I like many others no longer have a cd walkman :P


newshound
rabble-rouser
Member: 19975
Joined: Mar 6 2010

I am also concerned with this. Plus the fact that bandwidth based use age and throttling is coming too us all. 

What can be done to stop this digital assault?

 


Tommy_Paine
rabble-rouser-for-life
Member: 1214
Joined: Apr 22 2001

 

Stop buying it?  Don't use it?  

 

I stopped paying full price for CD's years ago when I found out that of the (that time) $21.00, $2.00 of that covered overhead, and of that $2.00, something like $0.35 ended up in the artist's pocket.   The rest was pure label profit.

Yeah, I could afford the $21.00, but I can't afford the blow to my self esteem for knowingly being played for a rube.

Similarly, the original "I Pods"  couldn't have their batteries replaced, and only lasted about 18 months.   I can't trust anything made by that company, so I don't buy their toys.  Sorry, essential bits of life that I somehow manage to do without.

We've been taught that music can only be done by special artist professionals, and can only be enjoyed as such.    

But you can sing if nothing else, and it's actually more fun than listening.  Who knows, maybe you can pick up an instrument too.

There were four whores of Baltimore,

drinkin' the blood red wine,

and all the conversation was..... 

 

I know this is about more than music, or Steve Jobs' claptrap, and fundamental issues of individual freedoms are at stake.   However, it seems to me industry hasn't quite sussed out where the line of diminishing returns are when it comes to protecting their "products".    The music industry is a fine example, thinking that pirating is responsible for the reduction in profits, when it's actually a reduction of disposible income coupled with their zealous gaurding of copyright. 

 

You can only attack your customers for so long before they stop being customers.

 

And, we can play a role to hurry their discovery of the line of diminishing returns by educating our fellow consumers about how this all effects them.

Nobody like being taken for a rube.

 

 


LetThemEatCake
recent-rabble-rouser
Member: 20466
Joined: May 8 2010

This article was brought to my attention. It takes a interesting look at some of the issues involved in copyright law.

http://heywriterboy.blogspot.com/2010/05/state-of-copyright-debate.html

Im not sure what the correct was to treat copyright legally but it seems like the legislation that may be comeing will be the wrong way to treat the issue.


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